YOU AT YOUR BEST.

Get Into The Swing

A Workout To Boost Your Fitness And Improve Your Game

July 25, 1993|By Cynthia Hanson. Special to the Tribune.

Increasingly, women are turning to golf for exercise, recreation and business entertainment. Today, 5.4 million American women play the game, up from 4.8 million in 1988, according to the National Golf Foundation in Jupiter, Fla.

Although it might not seem strenuous-you won't get an aerobic challenge when you sit in a cart, step up to the tee, whack the ball and then spin off to the putting green-it still takes considerable strength and flexibility to hit the ball.

And it also requires endurance, says Sheila Tansey, a golf instructor and owner of the Women's Golf Academy in East Lansing, Mich. "So it's important to be all-around physically fit before you get on the course."

To maximize the fitness benefits of the game, you'll need to walk the course and carry your bag, which require a pumped-up cardiovascular system.

It's also vital to use proper form to hold the clubs and hit the ball, lest you tear muscles and ligaments. Posture is crucial while putting.

"If you don't keep your back at a 45-degree angle from your hips, and if your spine isn't straight, it's possible to sustain some lower-back injuries and suffer a lot of pain," says Pam Tyska, head women's golf coach at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill.

If you're self-taught, consider investing in a few lessons to make sure your form is up to par.

Tansey, Tyska and Chris Scott of the Cooper Institute, an exercise-research organization in Dallas, recommend this regimen to help you play a safe and successful game:

-Flexibility. You risk muscle injuries when you haven't stretched enough before taking your first swing. Key areas to stretch are your hamstrings, calves and lower back. Tyska suggests the following exercises, which should be done every day.

1. Take a broomstick and drape it over the back of your shoulders, being careful to keep your shoulders over your toes. Slowly rotate your torso several times. 2. Hold the broomstick behind your neck. Keeping your feet shoulders-width apart, your spine straight and your knees flexed, bend over from your hips. Do 10 to 15 repetitions three times.

-Weightlifting. The stronger your forearms and wrists, the more powerful your swing will be. To condition the small muscles in that area, practice wrist curls with light weights. To strengthen your hands and fingers, squeeze tennis balls while you're sitting in traffic or watching television. Do these exercises three times a week for 20 minutes.

-Walking. If you don't want to "play from the cart," as Tansey calls it, start walking to develop stamina for long days on the course. There are plenty of hills on most golf courses, so if you train by walking on a treadmill, don't forget to raise the elevation. "Walk for 30 minutes at least three times a week," says Scott.

-Aerobics. High-impact, low-impact and step aerobics are excellent for toning hips, inner thighs and calves. You can break up the monotony of your walking routine with aerobic workouts three or four times a week.